Please put this in the “I need to get his off my chest” category. I know you know most (if not all) of this, but I believe, as a somewhat recently retired US Army General, I have an obligation to put this out there.

We have all heard it said that generals are always fighting the last war. I did not find that true during my military career. In fact, I found the opposite. There were many exceptionally smart men and women who strained to look through fog, into the future, in anticipation of what would come next. The problem is, this is extremely difficult to do.

Do you think post-World War II (and to some extent post-Korean War) planners could have envisioned the Viet Nam War?

Do you think the post-Vietnam planners could have foreseen kicking in doors in Afghanistan and Iraq?

What do you think post Afghanistan/Iraq planners are envisioning next?

As you know, the Pentagon has war plans for multiple contingencies….along with concomitant branches and sequels. Some predict total war, but those plans rarely see the public eye. With today’s technologies and weaponry, it is too difficult to fathom that any nation would go down this path. Besides, anyone in a position of power, who publicly predicted such a war--- and urged immediate preparation-- would likely see his/her career end rather quickly.

Yet sadly, history would indicate total war is the most likely next outcome.

Those who fought the last total war, (World War II) have mostly passed. Those who remain have seen their voices grow dim. We are now in the fourth generation from World War II…and all current US generations have come to believe the following about war:

· Wars are protracted affairs that can last a decade or more.
· Wars are low-level conflicts.
· Wars do not affect the general populace of the US. (We bomb others, they don’t bomb us.)
· Only a few are needed to prosecute a war. (Currently, less than one half of one percent of our population have served in the military.)
· War is good for economy.
· The status quo is maintained regardless of war’s outcome.
· God is on our side.

If history is any guide, all of the above beliefs will be shattered during the next war.

Steve, there are historical “war cycles.” Not every war can be total (WW II), or a stand-off (Korea), or swiftly-victorious-but-without change (Desert Storm), or indecisive (Vietnam/Iraq/Afghanistan). There is a rhyme and rhythm to human conflict and we are on course for total war. Strauss and Howe to an excellent job of explaining such cycles in their 1997 classic book, The Fourth Turning.

With that said, I believe the next war will:

· Last only 2-3 weeks.
· Be a high-level conflict where more people will die than in all previous wars combined.
· See the general US population targeted (and stunned) at the devastation.
· Affect everyone—not just those in uniform.
· Decimate the economy. Those not killed directly will struggle to survive post-hostilities.
· Destroy the status quo and usher in a new order.
· Make manifest that God is no longer on our side. We chose to abandon Him, so He honored our free will.

The reality is, Americans have not fared well at the beginning of most wars. We get caught off-guard, stumble, and suffer casualties we should not suffer. Our strength is in our ability to recover and adapt. As a people---and as a military—we have proven ourselves able to adjust “on the fly” and overcome overwhelming odds.

This trait is not lost on our enemies. Their solution? Win before we can adjust. Attack so hard and so fast, we cannot get up. The Japanese had this idea at Pearl Harbor, but did not have the means to execute the strategy. Today’s weapons/technology allow for such a strategy to be successful.

The difficulty for most American leaders is that they have been brought up to believe there is a linear path to things such as civilization’s progress, economic growth, cultural achievement, technological advancement, military improvement, and so on. Yet, this has never been the case. Things cycle. The ancients knew this. Our founding fathers knew this.

Linear thinking is a relatively new mindset…fueled and reinforced in large part by the industrial and technological revolutions. And, while the material achievements have been amazing, and seemingly straight up, the human condition has not changed. Like everything in nature, human behavior cycles.

(As an aside, the Romans also believed technological advances were linear and destined to grow to the sky. Yet, after the Empire fell, Europe forgot how to make concrete for over 700 years. When Rome fell, knowledge was lost in the areas of health care, architecture, hygiene, plumbing, engineering, etc. This knowledge was not recovered until centuries later. Thus, even technology cycles, if you look back far enough.)

The point is, among other things, industrial and technological advances have reinforced a false belief-system that past is prologue….despite overwhelming historical evidence to the contrary. The result is, we are careening down a destructive path that many Americans can “feel”, but cannot articulate.

This is not intended as fear mongering…there is plenty of non-substantiated nonsense out there. As hard as this is to write, however, there is substantial evidence to indicate total war is on the horizon. I believe future historians will look back and say, “How could they have not seen the path they were on?”

Your website has offered many solutions re what people should do. Your recent prepper articles have been outstanding. Of course, the best way to live through total war is to not participate. Given this, what can the average American do?

· Leave the battlefield, which in total war, is the entire nation. Go south of the equator.
· If you can’t leave the country, leave the urban areas.
· Prepare as best you can for the war and its aftermath.
· Get right with God.
· Be attuned to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The early Christians were told via visions, dreams, & prophets to flee before the Romans sacked the city in 70 AD.

There is another issue. Your readers are going to have to make a judgment call as to whether the next war is a “God’s judgment war”. If you determine in the affirmative, then your bravery, good intentions, self-sacrifice, and noble deeds will be in vain. You will not be fighting a foreign foe. You will be fighting His will. You will lose. And please, do not fall into the trap that “at least we are better than the other guys”. The Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians were not saints, yet God use them to judge ancient Israel and Judah.

Thankfully Steve, you get it…and have gotten it for a long time. You are trying to save lives, both in the physical and the eternal. I am merely adding my voice to yours. I hope this small contribution will convince those who are on the fence to recognize the current situation and take appropriate action.

Is there hope? Of course…but it would require repentance and revival on scale we have not seen for a long time in the US. Fast and pray.